After leaving the Ecopark, Yuga went to the Gym to meet Steven.
When Yuga arrived, he found Steven sitting leisurely in the lobby, sipping tea.
"You seem quite relaxed. I really appreciate your help this time," Yuga said as he took a seat across from Steven and poured himself a cup of tea.
"No need to thank me. When should we have dinner?" Steven smacked his lips, seemingly reminiscing about the cooking skills of Audino, which he missed.
Although Steven had trained a Audino of his own, it seemed like his skill tree had gone awry. The food he prepared always turned out to be a disaster, but when it came to battling, his Audino was fierce and uncompromising.
Sometimes, Steven even wondered if he had tamed not a Audino but a disguised Ursaring.
He couldn't help but envy Yuga's Audino.
The operation to besiege the Team Aqua Branch had taken two days in total—one day to get there, one day for the operation, and another day to return. It was already quite late when they came back, making it an appropriate time for dinner.
Upon hearing Steven's words, Yuga chuckled and said, "Are you here just to eat? You seem quite idle."
Steven shrugged. "Well, it's a side benefit, isn't it? I'm on vacation at the moment, so staying here for a few days won't hurt. You wouldn't kick me out, would you? That wouldn't be very nice!"
Yuga waved his hand dismissively. "It's up to you. Stay as long as you like. But I contacted you for another reason."
Steven raised an eyebrow. "What's the matter?"
Before, Steven had regarded Yuga as a junior due to Yuga's younger age and lower strength. However, after this operation, his perception of Yuga had completely changed. Yuga's flying Lapras had impressed him greatly.
"I want to talk about Mega Evolution," Yuga said.
"Do you know about Mega Evolution?" Steven asked in return, though he didn't appear too surprised.
Knowledge of Mega Evolution was rare nowadays, but it was entirely normal for Yuga to be aware of it because he was Mr. Kuni'o's disciple. This fact wasn't a secret to Steven.
However, what surprised Steven was that Yuga knew about Mega Evolution but had no connection to Mr. Kuni'o, who had never mentioned Mega Evolution to him.
"Yes, I know about it. I even traded a Gyarados Mega Evolution Stone with Venusaur Mega Evolution Stone from Robert," Yuga continued.
Trading Mega Evolution Stones with Robert wasn't something Yuga needed to keep a secret anymore. He had acquired enough self-preservation capabilities by now.
"Robert's Gyaradosite came from you?" Steven was genuinely surprised this time.
He knew about the trade where Robert exchanged a Gyaradosite for a Venusaurite, thanks to Wallace informing him.
Steven felt envious because both Robert and Wallace, now had Mega Evolution Stones corresponding to their Pokémon. Meanwhile, he didn't have any. He did own Mega Evolution Stones, but none of them were suitable for his Pokémon, which was quite frustrating.
The Mega Evolution Stones he desired the most were those for Metagross and Aggron, but these were hard to come by, even though he was the heir to the Devon Corporation.
"Do you want to trade Mega Evolution Stones with me, too?" Steven asked.
Yuga shook his head. "I want Keystone."
Steven realized that he didn't need Mega Evolution Stones; he needed a Keystone.
Steven paused for a moment, then nodded. "I understand. Do you have Mega Evolution Stones for Metagross and Aggron?"
Steven didn't think Yuga would have these two specific Mega Evolution Stones, but other Mega Evolution Stones would be of no use to him. What he was looking for were those specific Mega Evolution Stones.
Of course, if Yuga were willing to give them to him as a gift, that would be a different story. After all, Mega Evolution Stones were valuable collectibles in their own right.
Upon hearing this, Yuga silently took out a Mega Evolution Stone with white and brown spiral patterns and placed it on the table.
"What's this?" Steven asked, his pupils contracting as he saw the Mega Evolution Stone. He didn't know which Pokémon this Mega Evolution Stone corresponded to, but since Yuga knew his request and brought it out, Steven had an idea.
At present, people didn't fully understand Mega Evolution, including which Mega Evolution Stones corresponded to which Pokémon. Although Steven knew that both Metagross and Aggron could Mega Evolve, he had never seen the specific Mega Evolution Stones for these two.
"This is for Metagross," Yuga explained.
"Really?" Steven's heart involuntarily skipped a beat upon receiving a confirmation from Yuga. Still, his strong composure prevented any visible emotions from showing on his face.
"Of course, I have no reason to deceive you," Yuga replied with a smile.
In fact, Yuga had wanted to discuss this matter with Steven during the recent opening ceremony of the Verdanturf Gym. However, he had been too busy at the time, and Steven's departure had been hasty, so Yuga had momentarily forgotten.
Steven nodded, acknowledging the situation.
"But are you sure about trading a Keystone? Mega Evolution Stones are much more valuable than Keystones," Steven cautioned.
While he coveted the Mega Evolution Stone for Metagross, he didn't want to take advantage of someone he had a good relationship with, especially since Steven had spare Keystones.
Keystones could correspond to any Mega Evolution Stone, making them versatile, and, as of now, Keystones were more abundant in number compared to Mega Evolution Stones.
"Then, how about offering something in return?" Yuga suggested. While he was unaware of the value of Mega Evolution Stones compared to Keystones, he knew Steven to be an honest individual.
Steven pondered for a moment before responding, "How about this: I'll give you full credit for the success of the operation to besiege the Team Aqua Branch. When you report it, don't mention my involvement at all. You can take all the credit."
Even though this operation had significant achievements, Steven had no need for additional recognition. Trading for a Mega Evolution Stone for Metagross, especially one for a Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon, was a great deal for him.
"Alright, let's go with that," Yuga agreed. At this point, he wanted to earn more Merit Points, as he had recently acquired a Lapras as his main team, and it's an Elite level Pokémon. Providing it with Water Gem and Ice Gem would help it grow faster, ensuring it wouldn't be overshadowed by others.
Steven added, "However, my Keystones aren't with me right now. I'll call someone to bring them here immediately."
"Sure, let's wait for you to bring the Keystones before finalizing the trade," Yuga said, casting a playful glance at Steven, who was trying to seize the opportunity.
Steven extended his hand, "Ah, come on..."
This guy! He can't stand even the slightest disadvantage. Can I even take advantage of him?
Seeing the almost-secured Mega Evolution Stone for Metagross slipping away, Steven felt his blood boil with frustration.